Dylan and Woody

When child sexual abuse cases hit the press it can have a big effect on me as a survivor. How great is it that the United Nations has come out in defense of children, scolding the Vatican for hiding and shuffling around abusive priests.

But then there is the Woody Allen vs. Dylan Farrow business. Ack! It’s the same old defensive offense, so familiar to many of us on the part of offenders. Round up friends, attack the accuser, deny, deny, deny.

And, of course, like for many of us, there is no videotape of the event, no definitive proof of exactly what occurred. This time it’s writ large because Allen was recently awarded a life time achievement award by the Golden Globe folks and Dylan, no longer a vulnerable seven-year-old, published an open letter about his sexual abuse.

If Allen’s media blitz in response has got you down–and I find it triggering–here are a couple of reality-testing resources:

Dylan’s letter, as published in the New York Times by columnist Nicholas Kristof (who is a wonderful advocate for women and girls, see his book Half the Sky)